A Nigerian national, Qudus Ajeyemi who was studying in the United Kingdom, UK has been sentenced to five-and-a-half years in prison after being convicted of attempted rape and sexual assault following an attack on a woman in Hull.

Ajeyemi, 27, known by the nickname “Spartan”, was found guilty after a six-day trial at Hull Crown Court.

He was living on May Street in Hull and was in the UK on a student visa at the time of the offence in early 2023.

According to evidence presented in court, the woman had gone to a house on Tavistock Street in Hull after a night out. After consuming alcohol and feeling unwell, she was taken upstairs by Ajeyemi, who had offered her a place to sleep.

Charlotte Baines, prosecuting, said: “Spartan led her upstairs and she lay down on the bed. She thought that he would leave her there to have a sleep. Within a few seconds, Spartan was touching her.

“She pushed him off and told him: ‘I’m not here for that.’ Her response did not deter Spartan and he touched her again.”

The court heard that the woman managed to push him away and ran downstairs in distress.

Ms Baines continued: “She sat down on the sofa in the sitting room and started to cry.

“Some of Spartan’s friends asked her what was wrong. Spartan himself then came into the room and asked her what was wrong – knowing what he had done.”

Following the incident, Ajeyemi reportedly contacted the victim through FaceTime, admitted what he had done and repeatedly apologised, later sending additional messages asking for forgiveness.

The victim preserved records of the conversations and handed them to police in March 2023, leading to an investigation by Humberside Police’s Protecting Vulnerable People Unit.

In addition to his prison term, Ajeyemi will be deported to Nigeria after completing his sentence. He was also placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life and handed a seven-year restraining order.

Detective Sergeant Ethan Anderson, who led the investigation, praised the victim for coming forward.

He said: “I want to start by commending the woman who came forward and reported what had happened to her; reporting this type of crime is never easy and she has displayed nothing but immense bravery and strength throughout the complex and lengthy process; from reporting the incident through to his sentencing.

“Ajeyemi preyed on the woman, taking advantage of her and attempted to rape her in a space she ought to have been safe in, around friends. The trauma and emotional damage he caused will undoubtedly stay with her for the rest of her life.

“The impact of this ordeal was only magnified by Ajeyemi’s refusal to admit what he had done, delaying the outcome for the victim and forcing her to endure a gruelling six-day trial. We take all reports of rape and sexual offences extremely seriously and continue to work relentlessly to take offenders like Ajeyemi off our streets.

“Specialist trained officers work closely with partner agencies across our force area to support victims and survivors, alongside aiding in preventing further incidents by putting perpetrators before the courts. It does not matter if it happened yesterday, a few weeks ago, or even years ago, our advice to any victim of any sexual offence is to speak to us when you are ready.

“Whether you tell a trusted adult or a friend, it is important that you tell someone. We will always do everything we can to hold those accountable for such vile crimes.

“Anyone who suspects crimes of this nature are taking place, please report it to us via our non-emergency number 101. Always call 999 in an emergency.” (Vanguard)

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